Chinese e-mobility specialist NIU just pulled the covers off its latest creation, the Concept 06—a sleek electric maxi-scooter that looks more like a futuristic sport-tourer than the compact commuters the brand built its name on. The big headline? It packs a 20 kW motor and hits a claimed top speed of 96 miles per hour, which makes it faster than BMW’s CE 04 and easily one of the most powerful electric scooters ever built.
That’s serious performance from a brand better known for practical runabouts like the MQi GT EVO and NQi GTS Pro.
With the Concept 06, NIU clearly wants to prove it can play in the premium space, showing off the kind of speed and sophistication you’d expect from an electric motorcycle rather than a scooter. While NIU hasn’t revealed the torque figures yet, 20 kW works out to roughly 27 horsepower, which is enough to make highway runs feel effortless.
Range, though, is still a mystery. NIU hasn’t said how far the Concept 06 can go on a full charge or how long it takes to juice up. For reference, BMW’s CE 04 can cover around 80 miles and recharge from zero to 80 percent in about an hour, so that’s the ballpark the Concept 06 will be judged against. If NIU can match or beat those numbers, it could really shake up the segment.
Beyond the raw power, this scooter’s tech suite is what really turns heads…though not always for the right reasons.
NIU says the Concept 06 features an “AI co-pilot” that learns your riding habits, adapts to your style, and keeps you safer and more connected. It sounds like something out of a Silicon Valley pitch deck, and you can almost hear the collective eye-roll from riders who just want to twist the throttle and go. The truth is, we don’t need any of this AI-powered garbage. Most riders just want a simple twist-and-go two-wheeler.
That said, there’s plenty of “useful” hardware on board, too, which you don’t really need to use. It gets adaptive cruise control, hill-start assist, hill-descent control, regenerative braking, and even a Push Assist mode that helps move the scooter around in parking situations. There’s also an electrically adjustable handlebar and windscreen, which feels more touring bike than scooter.
NIU says the Concept 06 constantly scans its surroundings. If another vehicle gets too close, the system throws up a warning on the dashboard and projects lights on the ground. I’d imagine this will get annoying really quickly, so hopefully this is a feature that can be disabled. Once parked, the bike’s “Sentry Mode” activates, recording unusual movements and sending instant alerts to your phone if someone starts poking around.
Styling-wise, it’s a far cry from NIU’s earlier designs. The Concept 06 has a low, wide stance with aggressive LED lighting, long bodywork, and a futuristic front fascia that gives it serious presence. It’s as if NIU took cues from sportbikes and luxury EVs at the same time, resulting in something that wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi film.
NIU hasn’t confirmed if the Concept 06 will reach production, but it’s a clear sign of where the company wants to go: beyond city limits, into the high-speed, high-tech future of electric mobility.
Source: NIU
